Projects per year
Personal profile
Research Interests
Andrew Thomson is a Senior Lecturer in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen’s University Belfast and a Fellow at the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. He is an active member of several academic societies and currently serves on the governing council of the Conflict Research Society (CRS).
Andrew’s research interests reside in the areas of conflict studies, political violence, peacebuilding, and U.S. foreign policy. His expertise spans several interrelated areas:
Pro-Government Militias
Andrew has conducted extensive research on the dynamics of civil wars, with a particular focus on how paramilitaries or pro-government militias (PGMs) - categories that are often contested and imprecise - shape patterns of violence and influence war outcomes. His work in this area has appeared in leading journals including Journal of Conflict Resolution, International Studies Quarterly, and Studies in Conflict and Terrorism.
Currently, Dr. Andrew Thomson is developing a broader international research agenda that examines how states deal with PGMs or paramilitary actors He is especially interested in understanding how such groups transition (or persist), what approaches governments adopt toward them during conflict and in post-conflict environments, and what forms of negotiation or dialogue might occur. This work aims to generate both theoretical insights and practical policy lessons for transitional settings.
The Colombian Peace Process
As part of this broader agenda, Andrew focuses on Colombia as a key case study. His 2017 project, funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund, explored how interactions between FARC members and other armed groups affected disarmament in a multi-actor conflict environment. More recently, his project “Negotiating with Your Allies? Lessons from the Government-AUC Peace Negotiations (2003–2005)” investigates Colombia’s engagement with the AUC in Santa fe de Ralito in 2003-2005. The research seeks to inform ongoing efforts under the “Total Peace” policy, particularly potential negotiations with groups such as the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia (AGC).
Positive Peace and Post-Conflict Societies
Andrew is leading the project “Positive Peace in Northern Ireland: A Northern Irish Peace Index” in collaboration with the Institute for Economics and Peace. This initiative aims to create the first empirical, data-driven Peace Index for Northern Ireland, tracking trends in both negative and positive peace over time. Through workshops and stakeholder engagement, the project also supports integrating positive peace frameworks into local peacebuilding strategies.
U.S. Counterinsurgency and Irregular Warfare
Andrew also explores how the United States works through irregular armed actors—including militias, private contractors, and mercenaries—in pursuit of foreign policy objectives. His most recent book, co-authored with Rubrick Biegon, The War on Terror: Short Histories (Agenda Press, 2025), provides a concise history of the global counterterrorism campaign. His earlier monograph, Outsourced Empire: How Militias, Mercenaries and Contractors Support US Statecraft, examines the outsourcing of violence in U.S. interventions.
Teaching
Andrew is Programme Director/Convenor for the MA in Violence, Terrorism and Security. He teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including the following modules:
PAI7028 Violence, Terrorism and Security
PAI3038 US Foreign Policy
PAI2055 Security and Terrorism
PAI2065 Peace and Conflict Studies
PAI7007 Global Terrorism
He also contributes to courses on international security, conflict transformation, peace processes, and U.S. politics.
Andrew supervises undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations on a wide range of topics, including terrorism, jihadist groups, state violence, counterinsurgency, and peace negotiations.
He especially welcomes PhD proposals related to paramiltiaries/pro-government militias, political violence, and post-conflict transitions.
In 2015, he received a Student-Nominated Teaching Award from Queen’s University Belfast and earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE) in 2012.
Particulars
Born in Oxford, UK, Andrew is of Irish descent and was raised in Colombia and the United States. He earned a BA in Politics and International Relations (First Class Honours) from the University of Kent in 2007, followed by an MA in International Relations from the University of Sussex in 2008. He completed his PhD in International Relations at the University of Kent in 2013.
He is fluent in Spanish and has a working knowledge of Portuguese, French, and Italian.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 1 Finished
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R3223BSC: Post-conflict impact on sustainability in Colombian artisanal mining communities
Kumaresan, D. (PI), Butler, M. (CoI), Doherty, R. (CoI), Rebelo, P. (CoI), Ruffell, A. (CoI), Thomson, A. (CoI) & Zhang, M. (CoI)
18/08/2020 → 30/11/2021
Project: Research
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Co-designing positive peace: a refreshed and evolved approach to good relations (discovery phase). A report for the NI Executive Office and NI Civil Service
Thomson, A., 15 Mar 2024, 104 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Open AccessFile124 Downloads (Pure) -
Civilian Defense Forces and violence against civilians
Thomson, A., 21 Apr 2023, Militias, states and violence against civilians. Civic vice, civic virtue. Johnson, P. L. & Wittels, W. (eds.). London: Routledge, p. 55-77Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
Open AccessFile40 Downloads (Pure) -
El proceso de desarme y la percepción de inseguridad por parte de los guerrilleros que declinaron las armas tras el Acuerdo de Paz en Colombia
Thomson, A., 01 Feb 2023, Balances y perspectivas del cumplimiento del Acuerdo de Paz en Colombia (2016-2022). Ugalde Zubiri, A. & Perea Ozerin, I. (eds.). Bilbao: Universidad del Pais Vasco, p. 233-256Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
Open AccessFile35 Downloads (Pure) -
Measuring, monitoring, and evaluating good community relations: a report for the together: building a united community (T:BUC) review
Thomson, A., 31 Mar 2023, 51 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
1 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
Activities
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Positive Peace: Concept and Measurement for Peacebuilding in Northern Ireland
Thomson, A. (Advisor)
11 Jan 2024Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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Militias: Insidious Security Threats
Thomson, A. (Advisor)
31 May 2023Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
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Conflict Management and Peace Science (Journal)
Thomson, A. (Peer reviewer)
12 Oct 2022Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Publication peer-review
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Conflict Research Society Annual Conference
Thomson, A. (Organiser)
07 Sept 2022 → 09 Sept 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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Examiner at UCL
Thomson, A. (Examiner)
15 Jun 2022Activity: Examination types › UG external examination